Among the Clovers
by simplycyndilicious
Summary: This just in: Two tributes are allowed to return home ONLY if they are from the same district. District 2's tributes Cato and Clove are desperate to win, but when Clove gets attacked by Thresh, Cato must take care of her. Does this monstrous boy from District 2 have a soft spot for his partner? Please Read and Review!


Among the Clovers

"Cato! CATO!" Clove screamed as Thresh pulled her off from Katniss Everdeen and threw her against the cornucopia.

"You killed Rue?" Thresh asked menacingly.

Clove shook her head erratically from side to side, "no…n-no" From the far distance she could see that her district partner, Cato was running towards her.

"Cato!" Clove screamed thrashing her arms and legs to escape from Thresh.

Thresh turned and saw Cato take out his sword and charge at his direction. With a sudden impulse, Thresh grabbed the screaming Clove by her neck and pushed her against the cornucopia, hitting her head hard against the wall. Thresh threw her down on the ground and kicked her to the side, breaking a couple of her ribs.

"Just this once, 12. For Rue." Thresh told Katniss and took off into the woods.

Katniss quickly looked around the cornucopia, frantically searching for the bag that contained Peeta's medicine. She got up and snatched the bag before Cato was able to attack her.

Cato sprinted down to the cornucopia, but it was too late. He kneeled at his partner's side. Blood from her head stained his pants and shirt. He gently lifted her head to check the injury. Thresh was cruel enough to hit Clove hard enough to knock her out and leave a nasty wound but not hard enough to kill her instantly. Cato listened for her heartbeat and ripped some fabric from his jacket. He carefully wrapped the makeshift bandage around Clove's head and decided to carry her to a safe spot to take care of her.

"It's gonna be okay, Clove. We're gonna go home" he whispered repeatedly on the way.

It was a two mile walk to Cato's base camp, a quick shelter made from tree branches with all his equipment inside. He gently laid her down in the shelter, resting her injured head on a knapsack.

He took out some of the last bits of medicine from his bag and treated her wound to the best of his abilities.

Hours must have past by since Clove was attacked. Clove's eyes fluttered open to find herself staring at the evening sky. She weakly tried to get up but was stopped by the searing pain in her head. Clove let out a painful groan causing Cato to come tend to her.

"Don't move." Cato said. "I dragged you out to get some fresh air."

Clove opened her eyes to find Cato staring at her. "Cato…"

"I caught some fish while you were asleep and I-"

"Cato." Clove said again

Cato stopped to listen to what she had to say.

"It really hurts." Clove muttered

"It'll get better, I promise. When you're better we'll be the Victors and the two of us can go home, back to District 2."

Clove shook her head. "I can't" her voice was breathy

Cato shook her on the shoulder "don't say that. I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with me." His piercing blue eyes were fixed upon her.

* * *

That night Clove slept in the shelter while Cato sat outside to guard. Even though it was dark, Cato could still see Clove's face in the artificial moonlight. Clove was like a little sister to him. They trained together, ate together, and they were reaped together. Cato loved her. He'd promised since the Gamemaker's announcement that two tributes from the same district could become Victors, that he would protect her.

The Gamemaker's sun eventually rose and the anthem of Panem played. Clove was still sound asleep. Cato crawled inside the shelter to check on Clove again. He reached for the medicine jar. Empty. Why didn't his mentors send him supplies from the sponsors? Desperate for something to heal Clove's wound he scavenged a couple of leaves and plants to help the wound from getting worse.

Cato hung around the shelter and Clove. There was no canon signaling the death of a tribute, or chaos from the Gamemakers. Hours went by and Clove has not awakened yet. Cato went over to her and gave her a nudge.

Nothing.

Cato felt his heartbeat quicken with fear. No, this can't be happening.

"Clove!" Cato kept nudging her "wake up!"

Clove slowly opened her eyes "wh-what"

Cato gave her a small punch in the arm "you scared me Clove, I thought you were-"

Clove's glazed eyes stared back at him as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

Cato sighed "just don't do that again."

Clove was silent.

Cato cleared his throat "you uh, hungry?"

"No"

Cato looked at her for a long time before going back to his business.

* * *

Cato was in the middle of building a fire when he started to hear Clove cough.

He found her coughing and sweating. Not a good sign. He put his hand on her forehead, she definitely had a fever.

"I'll find some medicine." Cato said

Cato returned fifteen minutes later with a handful of herbs and leaves for Clove's fever. He crawled into the shelter to find Clove.

"I'm back"

There was no answer from Clove.

He carefully carried Clove outside for fresh air. The cool air brushed past her face, waking her up. She groaned and her breath was faint and shallow.

"My head…" she groaned

"Here are some herbs"

"I-I don't want it"

"You have to."

"Cato"

"Yeah?"

"I c-can't make it. Can't do this anymore"

Cato was quiet.

Clove's eyes looked towards Cato's sword then back at him.

"No, no Clove. Don't even think about it!" Cato said sternly

"Please" She whispered then coughed

"No."

"It's what I want"

Cato opened his mouth to form words but couldn't. Deep down, he knew it was the right thing to do. She was suffering; the best thing to do for her was to end her misery. The only thing was that he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Please." She repeated.

Tears began to form around Cato's eyes as he slowly took out his sword. He knew that he was only keeping her alive for his selfish desires of going home together.

Clove looked towards the sky. "Those clouds, so beautiful"

"Stop it" He growled at her

"I-I'll be able to see real ones when I'm out of this arena." Clove looked at Cato "do you remember the cemetery back home? The one with the clovers?"

He felt tears near the corner of his eyes, despite his frustration. Cato sighed and nodded.

"I want to be buried there, among the clovers"

"Because that's your name." Cato tried to smile through his tears.

Clove smiled weakly "…thank you, Cato." With her last strength she reached into her pocket and pulled out a knife. It was her special knife; her name was engraved on the blade. "Here."

Cato accepted her gift with shaking hands.

"I'm ready to go home now." Clove said

Cato leaned over and planted a small kiss upon her forehead "I love you like a sister." He turned and grabbed his sword.

Clove's finger pointed to her heart. She traced an "X" on her chest.

Cato nodded solemnly. He had to make this quick and painless for her. He raised his sword above her.

"Win…" Clove whispered her last word.

Cato plunged the sword through Clove's heart. Clove let out a small scream and she was quiet. Lifeless.

Cato let out a loud cry. His district partner was dead.

From that moment, something changed inside Cato. He was no longer that boy who thought of the Hunger Games as a mere game. He finally realized what a cruel evil stunt this was from the Gamemakers. A new anger and fear of the games rose in him. This was something his mentors and trainers never taught him. This was a game he didn't want to play anymore.

He looked at Clove's lifeless, cold body. She was smart, to choose death over the agony and guilt of becoming Victor and a powerless pawn for the Gamemakers.

Cato pulled the sword from her heart and placed the long blade next to his own neck. He could feel the hot, fresh blood on the sword.

He suddenly realized something. He took the sword away from his neck and stabbed it into the ground. This was no longer a game to him, he had to win. For Clove, for District 2, for those who had their blood spilled on the Arena, and himself.

He pulled out Clove's knife. Something has taken over his mind, he was no longer sane. He had lost the only person who he had a soft side for. Now he will look out for nobody but himself. His primal urge to kill anyone, anything in his path was higher than before.

There was only one word in his mind.

Win.

-Fin-

**Thanks for reading! I don't own Hunger Games. If you enjoyed this Story, please check out my other Hunger Games Cato/Katniss story Trust Me Or Not**

**Reviews? **


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